ENGRAVING 


AND 


THEflEITY&PLEASURESOF 

PRINTS. 


UNIVERSITY  OH  CAI.IFOKNIA. 

ikOM  THE  l.lf^^fAk^   i  n 

BENJAMIN  PARKE  AVERY. 

(]IFT  OF  MRS.   AVHRY. 

^'Ust,  iSoij. 

At  cessions  No.  b  \)  io  ^  1         (J.ns  .\<>. 

The  Origin 


^nHquil^g  of  6lngFafaing: 

WITH 

SOME  REMARKS 

ON  THE 

Utility  and  Pleasures  of  Prints. 


SPERO    MELIORA. 


PHILADF.LPHIA: 

GEORGE     G  E  13  B  I  E. 

187  2. 


iH^ 


^ 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1872,  by 

GEORGE   CEDBIE. 

In  the  OJ/ice  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  IV'ashington,  D.  C. 


^0  J||amc.s  |f .  Clagliorii,  ^f;q. 


In  dedicating  to  you  tliis  effort,  to  increase  an  interest  in  the 
uses  and  pleasures  of  prints,  I  ask  for  it  the  same  impartial 
consideration  extended  to  the  examination  of  a  work  of  art, 
which,  if  the  intention  is  found  to  be  good,  and  a  sincere 
desire  to  develop  truth  made  apparent,  you  accept,  or  at  least 
tolerate,  although  there  may  be  many  and  perhaps  glaring 
faults. 

Permit  me  to  thank  you,  not  alone  for  the  liberal  manner 
with  which  the  folios  of  your  valuable  colledlion  (unequalled 
in  this  country,  as  respedls  the  works  of  modern  engravers) 
have  been  opened  to  me,  but  also  for  the  associations  thus 
established  with  a  generous-minded,  warm  hearted  gentleman. 

W.  S.  B. 
February,  1872 


To  THE  Reader. 


This  little  work,  originally  intended  to  be  privately  dis- 
tributed, has  been  deemed  of  sufficient  importance  to  warrant 
a  more  extended   circulation. 

It  is  a  simple  tribute  to  "  that  educational  influence,  which 
may  be  exerted  by  well-chosen  prints,"  and  the  only  regret 
is,  that  I  have  not  succeeded  in  rendering  it  more  worthy  of 
the  subject. 

THE  AUTHOR. 


s^ 


OV  THS 


girjviRSiTT] 


The  Origin 


Antiquity  of  Engrauing. 


"  Them  hath  he  filled  luith  xvisdoin  of  heart,  to  ivork  all 
manner  of  work,  of  the  engraver." — Exodus,  xxxv 


■3 » 17  BE  SIT  7] 

THE    ORIGIN 


ANTIQUITY  OF  ENGRAVING. 


Antiquity,  with  its  mythical  legends 
and  cloudy  superstitions,  has  ever  had  a 
charm  for  man.  The  acutest  intellefts  of 
all  ages  have  sought  exercise,  in  inquiries, 
into  the  habits  and  customs,  arts  and  laws 
of  ancient  peoples  ;  and  the  records  of  the 
past  are  searched  for  precedents,  for  causes 
and  effeds,  and  a  weight  of  authority  is 
given  to  them,  which,  although  sometimes 
delusive,  is  always  agreeable. 

That  which  has  been  is  better  under- 
stood and  judged  than  that  which  is ;  and 


THE    ORIGIN    AND 


the  past  seems  ever  more  bright  and  po- 
tent than  the  present. 

"  There  is  given  unto 
The  things  of  earth,  which  time  hath  bent, 
A  spirit's  feeling." 

Let  us  throw  around  our  subjecfl  these 
mysterious  shadows  of  antiquity ;  and,  in 
claiming  the  art  of  engraving  or  making 
incisions  in  some  durable  substance  to  be 
coeval  with  existence,  charm  and  Interest 
at  the  outset. 

The  inherent  love  of  imitation,  seeking 
expression  in  the  endeavor  to  reproduce 
in  some  simple  manner  visible  objects, 
would  early  suggest  this  mode  of  convey- 
ing ideas  and  depi6ling  form ;  and  the  hand, 
in  obedience  thereto,  soon  appropriate 
stone,  metal  or  wood,  and,  by  incision, 
delineate  or  engrave  thereon  natural  ob- 
jects or  conventional  signs,  in  manner 
best  suited  to  the  comprehension  of  the 
age. 


ANTIQUrrV    OF    ENGRAVIN(;.  II 

Gratitude  or  admiration,  prompting  me- 
morial stones  or  monuments — the  earliest 
attempts  at  archite6lure — would  readily  in- 
scribe thereon  a  testimony  to  the  virtues 
and  heroic  deeds  of  the  dead.  The  co- 
lossal tombs  of  ancient  Egypt  are  covered 
thus  with  the  earliest  productions  of  the  art, 
and  within  them  are  found  graven  plates 
authenticated  to  thousands  of  years  prior 
to  the  Christian  era. 

In  such  manner  has  been  transmitted 
the  little  knowledge  we  possess  of  the 
nations  of  remote  antiquity,  and  their  pre- 
cepts and  laws  descend  to  us  engraven 
on  stone  or  metal.  The  ancient  writers 
speak  of  the  armor  and  shields  of  their 
heroes  as  beina-  eno^raved;  and  the  records 
of  Assyria  and  Babylon  refer  to  incisions, 
either  for  ornament  or  Information,  In  the 
walls  and  temples  of  that  wonderful  race. 

Scattered  throughout  the  pages  of  Holy 
Writ  we   find  constant  references  to   In- 


THE    ORIGIN    AND 


scribed  altars  and  graven  plates.  Job,  in 
the  depth  of  his  miser)^  exclaims,  "Oh 
that  my  words  were  graven  with  an  iron 
pen  and  lead  in  the  rock  forever!"  From 
the  awful  heights  of  Sinai  issues  the  divine 
command,  "  Thou  shalt  not  make  unto 
thee  any  graven  image ;"  and  God  in  his 
commands  to  Moses  says,  "And  thou  shalt 
make  a  plate  of  pure  gold,  and  grave 
upon  it,  like  the  engravings  of  a  signet, 
Holiness  to  the  Lord." 

The  priority  of  signet  or  seal  rings  to 
the  promulgation  of  the  Jewish  laws  being 
thus  incontestably  established,  we  need 
only  refer  to  the  Assyrian  custom  of  wear- 
ing them,  and  the  many  samples  taken 
from  the  tombs  of  ancient  Egypt,  some 
of  which  may  have  come  directly  under 
the  notice  of  most  of  us. 

In  the  Abbott  Colle6lion  of  Egyptian 
Antlquides,  in  the  Museum  of  the  New 
York  Historical  Society,  may  be  seen,  in 


ANTIQUITY    OF    ENGRAVING.  I3 

the  highest  state  of  preservation,  the  large 
gold  signet  ring  of  Chufu,  as  high  priest 
or  king,  twenty-three  hundred  years  before 
Christ.  It  was  found  in  a  tomb  at  Ghizeh, 
and  is  of  fine  gold,  with  the  hieroglyphics 
and  symbols  beautifully  executed  and 
minutely  detailed. 

The  gem  engravers  of  Egypt,  under 
the  domination  of  the  priesthood,  could 
only  transmit  conventional  signs  as  di- 
rected by  them,  and  all  originality  and 
desire  of  excelling  being  thus  suppressed, 
we  must  look  to  Greece,  with  its  freedom 
and  poetic  mythology,  for  the  perfedion 
of  this  branch  of  engraving. 

The  cameos  and  intaglios  of  the  Greeks, 
remarkable  alike  for  exquisite  execution 
and  purity  of  design,  show  the  influence 
of  a  deep  love  and  study  of  nature,  and 
bear  indelibly  stamped  thereon,  the  char- 
acteristics of  a  great  nation. 

If  the  genuis  and  acquirements  of  this 
2 

^      '•*  0»  IH»**^ 

miriTrEESITr] 


14  TllF.    9RIGIN    AND 

people  demanded  such  forms  of  grace  and 
ideal  beauty,  as  have  been  bequeathed  to 
us  by  their  sculptors  and  gem  engravers, 
it  may  well  be  supposed  that  their  painters 
would  also  conceive  and  execute  works 
of  like  excellence. 

Had  the  art  of  engraving  for  multiplying 
impressions,  as  since  pra6liced,  been  known 
to  them,  in  place  of  the  bald  descriptions 
of  the  historian,  we  would  revel  in  tran- 
scripts, from  the  divine  creations  of  a 
Xeuxis  or  an  Apelles. 

Die  engraving,  the  offspring  of  intaglio 
gem  engraving,  was  a  great  step  in  the 
applicadon  of  this  art  to  the  purposes  and 
enlightenment  of  mankind.  Coining  or 
stamping  of  money  and  medals,  in  estab- 
lishing a  mode  of  circulation  and  trans- 
mission of  information,  forms  perhaps  quite 
as  important  a  feature  in  the  history  of 
th('  world  as  that  of  the  discovery  of 
movable  type. 


ANTIQUITY    OF    ENGRAVING.  1 5 

Money,  accepted  as  a  representative  of 
values,  gave  an  impetus  to  commerce, — 
that  most  potent  agent  for  civilization, — 
the  effe6ls  and  results  of  which  can  be 
scarcely  computed;  quickening  into  being 
thoughts  and  inventions,  and  entering  into 
all  the  great  enterprises  that  have  refined 
and  benefited  mankind,  it  may  well  be 
termed  the  lever  Of  the  world. 

If  the  Lydians  invented  the  art  of  en- 
graving dies  and  stamping  money,  the 
Grecians  very  soon  adopted  and  perfected 
it ;  and  with  the  same  high  artistic  develop- 
ment, as  is  shown  through  all  their  works, 
have  transmitted  to  us  those  coins  and 
medals,  which,  like  visible  histories,  stamp 
into  our  memories  the  stirring  events  and 
master  minds  of  Greece  and  Rome. 

The  glory  of  Greece  is  departed  :  Rome, 
with  its  triumphs  and  grandeur,  the  mis- 
tress of  the  world,  has  become  a  by-word 
and  warning :  their  histories  are  written, — 


l6  THE   ORIGIN    AND 

"  First  Freedom,  and  then  Glory — when  that  fails, 
Wealth,  vice,  corruption, — barbarism  at  last;" 

but  art,  immortal  art  remains  ;  founded  on 
the  immutable  principles  of  nature,  though 
dormant  at  times,  only  to  revive  with 
fresher  powers  and  wider  influences. 

We  now  approach  a  memorable  and 
important  era,  not  alone  in  art,  but  in  the 
history  of  man — that  of  the  introducftion 
of  wood  engraving-,  the  parent  of  printing 
from  the  surface  by  means  of  a  press, 
which  soon  suo-aestino-  die  use  of  mova- 
ble  characflers,  resulted  finally  in  the  dis- 
covery  of  typography. 

It  is  admitted  on  all  sides,  that  engraving 
on  wood  and  prindng  therefrom  is  of 
Chinese  origin,  and  practised  by  them 
many  centuries  previous  to  the  knowl- 
edge of  such  an  art  by  any  nation  of 
Europe. 

Jean  Baptiste  Papillon,  a  French  en- 
graver on  wood,  writing  about  the  middle 


ANTIQUITY    OF    ENGRAVING.  I  7 

of  the  last  century,  speaks  of  having  seen 
in  a  private  Hbrary  a  volume  containing 
eight  pictures,  representing  the  heroic 
actions  of  Alexander,  and  described  in  a 
rudely  engraven  frontispiece,  as  imagined 
and  executed  at  Ravenna,  in  relief  on 
blocks  of  wood,  by  Alessandro  Alberico 
Cunio  and  Isabella  Cunio,  twin  brother 
and  sister,  explained  by  verses  and  thus 
marked  on  paper.  The  dedication  fixing 
the  date  at  about  A.  D.  1285. 

This  story,  deemed  fi6litious  by  most 
writers,  having  been  accepted  by  Ottley 
in  his  admirable  History  of  Engraving, 
establishes  the  fa6l  that  engf raving-  on  wood 
and  printing  therefrom  was  pra6lised,  in 
that  part  of  Italy  bordering  on  the  Gulf 
of  Venice,  as  early  as  the  thirteenth 
century. 

A  decree  of  the  government  of  Venice, 
in  the  year  1441,  in  reciting  that  the  art 
of  making  cards  and  printed  figures,  used 


THE    ORIGIN    AND 


at  \' enice,  had  fallen  to  total  decay,  orders, 
(to  encourage  home  manufacture  of  these 
articles,)  that  no  work  of  said  art,  that  is 
printed  or  painted  on  cloth  or  on  paper, — 
that  is  to  say  altar  pieces  or  images  and 
playing  cards, — shall  be  brought  into  the 
city. 

This,  when  coupled  with  the  account  of 
the  two  Cunio,  furnishes  a  reasonable 
ground  for  the  conjecture,  that  engraving 
on  wood  had  been  pradlised  from  a  very 
early  period  by  the  Venetians,  for  the 
manufacture  of  playing-cards  and  repre- 
sentation of  religious  subjects,  who  learned 
it  in  the  course  of  commerce  from  the 
Chinese,  and  it  thus  became  gradually 
known  throughout  Europe, — the  use  of 
playing-cards  performing  an  important  part 
in  this  dissemination. 

The  Germans  and  inhabitants  of  the 
Low  Countries  appear  to  have  especially 
appropriated  this  art,  and  the  custom  of 


ANTIQUITY    OF    ENGRAVING.  IQ 

engraving  the  images  of  saints  and  other 
devout  representations,  prevailed  in  those 
countries  as  early  as  the  fourteenth  cen- 
tury; but  the  impressions  taken  from  these 
blocks  not  being  deemed  of  value,  very 
few  have  been  preserved  to  us. 

The  print  of  St.  Christopher  crossing  a 
river  with  the  infant  Jesus  on  his  shoulders, 
of  which  there  are  but  two  impressions  in 
existence,  (one  in  the  Paris  Colle6lion,  the 
other  formerly  in  the  library  of  Earl  Spen- 
cer,) was  for  a  long  time  supposed  to  be 
the  earliest  wood-cut  bearing  date,  to  wit 
1423 ;  but  the  recent  discovery  of  one 
dated  141 8,  the  only  known  impression  of 
which  is  in  the  Royal  Library  at  Brussels, 
establishes  this  facft  as  five  years  earlier 
in  time. 

Engraving  sets  of  prints,  religious  or 
historical,  accompanied  with  text  or  de- 
scripdons  on  the  same  block,  would  natu- 
rally follow,  and  thus  originated  our  first 


THE    ORIGIN    AND 


books,  which  being  printed  from  solid 
wooden  blocks,  arc  termed  Block  Books, 

The  earliest  Block  Book,  (a  produ6lion 
of  the  Low  Countries,)  is  the  Biblia  Paiipe- 
nun,  a  small  folio  of  forty  leaves,  printed 
on  one  side  of  the  paper  only,  from  a 
similar  number  of  blocks  of  wood,  each 
block  containing  three  sacred  subjects  from 
the  Old  and  New  Testament,  with  Latin 
inscriptions.  The  blank  sides  of  each  two 
leaves  being  pasted  together,  gives  the 
appearance  of  a  book  printed  in  the  ordi- 
nary manner  on  both  sides  of  the  paper. 
This  book  is  supposed  to  be  of  a  date  not 
later  than  1420. 

But  the  most  interestino-  work  of  this 
chara6ter,  (later  in  date  than  the  one  just 
referred  to,)  standing  as  it  does  midway 
between  Block  Books  and  the  first  speci- 
men of  typograph)^  is  the  Spccidiim  Hil- 
mance  Salvationist  a  folio  of  fifty-eight 
cuts,  containing  one  hundred  and  sixteen 


ANTIQUITY    OF    ENGRAVING. 


designs,  and  printed  also  on  one  side  only 
of  the  paper.  This  book  is  remarkable 
for  the  fact,  that  the  text  of  one  edidon  is 
printed  pardy  from  fixed  letters  and  pardy 
from  movable  type,  and  in  all  other  known 
editions  is  printed  entirely  from  what  has 
been  sufficiendy  proved  to  be  cast  type. 
This  book  has  been  ascribed  to  the  press 
of  Laurence  Coster,  of  Haerlem,  and  is 
prior  to  the  year  1472. 

It  was  only  subsequent  to  this  establish- 
ment of  typography  that  the  wood  engra- 
vers of  Italy,  and  especially  of  Venice, 
began  to  exert  their  talents  in  illustradng 
printed  books  with  wood-cuts. 

Having  thus,  in  a  general  manner,  at- 
tempted to  show  the  antiquity  of  engraving, 
its  influence  in  extending  commerce,  and 
agency  in  the  discovery  of  typography,  we 
will  proceed  to  form  the  last  link,  in  what 
may  be  termed  the  genealogy  of  this  art, 
— the  link  that,  above  all  others,  interests 


THE   ORICIN    AND 


and  charms  us  the  most,  since  to  it  we 
owe  those  fine  productions  of  the  burin 
and  needle,  which  have  ever  ministered, 
in  the  highest  degree,  to  the  enjoyment 
and  welfare  of  man.  We  allude  to  the 
discovery  of  the  mode  of  printing  or  de- 
livering ink  from  the  incisions  of  engraved 
m.etal  plates,  by  means  of  the  roller,  from 
which  time  engraving  became,  as  it  were, 
a  new  art. 

Chalcography,  the  art  of  engraving,  or 
more  strictly  speaking,  writing  on  metal, 
was  practised,  as  already  mentioned,  from 
the  most  remote  periods  of  antiquity ;  but 
it  seems  not  to  have  been  discovered  that 
such  engravings  were  capable  of  being- 
printed  from.  That  a  species  of  engraving 
on  metal,  every  way  fitted  for  giving  im- 
pressions, was  used  by  the  Egyptians, 
Greeks,  and  Romans,  is  placed  beyond  all 
doubt;  and  it  would  be  a  matter  for  aston- 
ishment   that    these   acute   and    inventive 


ANTIQUITY    OF   ENGRAVING.  23 

nations  had  never  applied  this  art  to  such 
purposes,  were  we  not  certain  that  paper — 
which  plays  so  important  a  part  in  this  re- 
production— was  entirely  unknown  to  them. 
It  was  fidy  given  to  Florence,  the  cradle 
of  modern  art,  where  Dante  sang  and 
Giotto  painted, — Florence,  the  home  of 
the  Medici, — to  witness  the  first  impression 
taken  on  paper  from  an  engraved  metal 
plate. 

Vasari,  that  most  interesting  biographer, 
(the  prototype  of  all  Boswell's,  in  admira- 
tion of  his  subject,)  wridng  about  the  middle 
of  the  sixteenth  century,  informs  us  that 
the  goldsmiths  of  Italy,  and  especially 
Florence,  in  decorating  plate  destined  for 
sacred  purposes,  such  as  chalices,  paxes, 
and  the  like,  after  designing  the  intended 
subje6l  with  a  point  of  steel  upon  silver, 
engraved  and  finished  the  work  with  the 
burin, — the  same  tool  used  by  the  line-en- 
graver of  the   present  day.     When  thus 


24  IHK    ORir.IN    AND 

engraved  and  finished,  die  lines  were  filled 
in  widi  a  composition  of  silver  and  lead, 
which  being  of  a  black  color,  (in  order  to 
throw  out  the  design,)  received  the  name 
of  Niello;  and  such  work  termed  Niello- 
work,  from  the  Latin  nigellum. 

In  this  mode  of  workmanship,  says 
Vasari,  Maso  Finiguerra,  of  Florence,  was 
a  most  admirable  artist. 

It  was  the  custom  of  that  goldsmith, 
whenever  he  had  engraved  any  work  in 
silver,  to  take  an  impression  (previous 
to  filling  in  the  Niello)  upon  dampened 
paper ;  the  engraving  having  first  been 
charged  with  lamp-black  and  oil  by  pres- 
sing a  roller  over  it ;  his  work  as  thus 
printed  assuming  the  appearance  of  a  pen- 
drawing. 

Of  Finiguerra's  works  in  silver,  the  one 
made  most  memorable  is  a  pax  of  the  As- 
sumption of  the  Virgin,  preserved  among 
the  records  of  the  church  of  San  Giovanni, 


ANTIQUITY    OF    ENGRAVING.  25 

at  Florence,  and  executed,  as  is  proved  by 
the  records  thereof,  in  the  year  1452. 

An  impression  from  this  work  was  dis- 
covered by  the  Abbe  Zani,  so  late  as  No- 
vember, 1797,  in  the  National  Cabinet  at 
Paris.  The  composition  is  good,  although 
from  the  number  of  figures  introduced  in 
a  space  three  inches  by  five,  somewhat 
confused  ;  the  drawing  is  quite  remarkable, 
and  the  beauty  and  expression  of  the 
heads  show  Finiguerra  to  have  been  pos- 
sessed of  a  high  degree  of  excellence  in 
art,— far  in  advance  of  his  time. 

This  custom  of  Finiguerra's,  (the  knowl- 
edge of  which,  resting  previously  to  this 
date  entirely  upon  the  dictum  of  Vasari,) 
has  thus  been  substantiated,  and  enables 
us  to  fix  the  time  and  place  which  wit- 
nessed, and  the  person  that  orignated 
printing  from  engraved  metal  plates. 

Practised  solely  at  first  by  him,  for  the 
purpose    of   preserving   a    record   of  his 


26  THE    ORIGIN    AND 

work,  it  was  not  held  as  a  secret,  and  being 
openly  divulged,  many  years  did  not 
elapse  before  the  art,  in  this  its  first  state, 
was  generally  adopted  by  the  workers  in 
Niello  throughout  Italy :  Finiguerra  im- 
proving the  process  by  increasing  the 
pressure  of  the  roller,  which  the  other 
goldsmiths  seem  not  to  have  done. 

Appropriated  to  these  purposes,  it  would 
be  limited  to  the  taking  of  one,  or  at  the 
most,  two  impressions,  and  the  fortunate 
possessor  of  one  of  these  prints  may 
well  glory  in  exhibiting  that,  which  in  the 
practice  of  later  years  has  been  so  much 
abused, — a  veritable  Ariisfs  Proof. 

Many  proofs  taken  by  the  early  gold- 
smiths are  in  existence,  and  form  a  most 
interesting  feature  in  a  colle61:ion  of  prints; 
but  it  is  difficult,  in  most  cases,  to  identify 
the  author,  and  very  few  have  been  satis- 
factorily traced  as  the  work  of  Finiguerra. 

The  transition  from  this  first  state  of  the 


ANTIQUITY    OF    ENGRAVING.  27 

art  would  be  the  growth  of  time  ;  and  it 
was  not  until  the  year  1460  that  the  real 
importance  of  calcography  became  evident, 
or  that  plates  of  larger  dimensions,  and 
engraved  purposely  for  multiplying  im- 
pressions for  publication  were  produced. 
This  is  what  Lanzi  terms  the  second  state 
of  the  art, — the  printing,  quite  imperfect, 
from  ink  of  a  greyish  tint,  and  of  little 
consistency. 

As  the  art  of  printing  engravings  be- 
came better  understood,  plates  of  copper 
beean  to  be  used  instead  of  the  softer 
metals ;  and,  with  a  press  of  adequate 
power  and  printing  ink  of  sufficient  con- 
sistency, the  impressions  received  their  full 
effeft.  The  art  then  attained,  as  far  as 
relates  to  impressions,  its  third  or  mature 
state. 

There  appears  to  be  no  ground  for  con- 
je6lure,  that  Finiguerra  ever  practised  the 
art  for  other  than   Niello-work  ;  his  excel- 


28  THE    ORIGIN    AND 

lence  in  which  may  well  cause  regret  that 
such  was  the  case. 

Excepting  the  illustrations  of  an  Alma- 
nac, published  at  Florence  in  1464,  the 
earliest  Italian  prints,  from  plates  engraved 
for  the  purpose  of  publication  and  of 
which  the  date  is  ascertained,  are  three, 
contained  in  a  book  printed  and  published 
at  Florence,  in  the  year  1477,  entitled 
''Monte  Santo  di  Dio^'  and  are  the  joint 
performance  of  two  Florentine  goldsmiths, 
Baccio  Baldini  and  Sandro  Botticelli,  who 
also  engraved  the  plates  for  the  edition 
of  Dante,  published  at  the  same  place  in 
1 48 1.  These  prints,  confused  In  design 
and  rude  in  execution,  mark  no  particular 
advance  in  the  art,  and  are  more  valued 
for  their  antiquity  than  beauty. 

The  productions  of  Antonio  del  Polla- 
guolo.  ( 1 426-1 498,)  another  Florentine 
goldsmith,  deemed  worthy  enough  by 
Lorenzo  Ghibcrti  to  assist  in  his  renowned 


ANTIQUITY    OF    ENGRAVING.  29 

work  of  the  brass  gates  for  the  Baptistery 
of  St.  John,  in  Florence,  claim  attention 
for  their  close  study  of  the  anatomy  of  the 
human  fieure.  His  rare  and  celebrated 
print  of  A  Battle  of  Naked  Figures,  an 
early  copy  of  which  is  in  the  collection  of 
a  gentleman  of  this  city,  (destined  at  some 
future  day  to  be  a  most  important  art-in- 
heritance of  Philadelphia,)  fully  shows  his 
knowledge  in  this  respect ;  the  oudines  are 
engraved  with  a  firm,  deep  stroke,  and 
though  exaggerated  as  regards  form,  its 
general  chara6ler  is  redeemed  by  the 
singular  delicacy  and  neatness  of  line  of 
the  shadows. 

We  come  now  to  one,  more  properly 
termed  the  first  of  Italian  engravers, — 
Andrea  Mantegna,  the  son  of  a  herdsman, 
born  at  Padua,  in  1431.  This  eminent 
artist  attained  an  early  proficiency  in  paint- 
ing, and  is  said  to  have  executed  the  chief 

altar-piece  in  the  church  of  San  Sofia,  at 

3* 

JI7BESITr| 


3©  THE   ORIGIN    AND 

Padua,  when  but  seventeen  years  of  age. 
Vasari,  in  his  Hfe  of  INIantegna  says,  that 
"  he  engraved  his  Ttnumphs  of  Ccesar  on 
copper,  a  work  of  which  much  account 
was  made,  because  better  engravings  had 
not  then  been  seen." 

The  enorravino:s  of  Mantes^na,  shaded 
with  hnes  of  remarkable  precision,  drawn 
obHquely  from  right  to  left,  without  cross- 
hatchings,  are  executed  with  much  freedom 
and  correctness  of  outline,  and  are  evi- 
dently close  transcripts  from  the  original 
pen-and-ink  drawings.  From  their  sim- 
plicity and  truth  they  take  hold  of  the 
mind  at  once. 

His  beautiful  print  of  the  Virgin  and 
Child,  expressing  in  the  most  marked 
manner  the  tenderness  of  love  and  pride 
of  maternity,  impresses  the  beholder  in 
the  highest  decree,  and  once  seen  is  never 
foro^ottcn. 

But  it  is  time  to  leave  the  south,  and 


ANTIQUITY    OF    ENGRAVING.  31 

turn  our  attention  to  a  northern  clime  and 
people. 

Germany  had  no  Vasari ;  and,  whether 
the  goldsmiths  of  the  fifteenth  century, 
in  that  country,  practised  working  in  Niello, 
or  that,  previous  to  the  discovery  of  a  well 
constructed  press,  they  made  any  attempts 
to  procure  impressions  from  their  engra- 
vings on  metal,  is  to  us  concealed  knowl- 
edge. The  superiority  of  the  German 
ardsts  over  those  of  Italy,  in  the  manage- 
ment of  the  burin,  as  well  as  skill  in  print- 
ing, is  well  established  ;  and  as  this  could 
only  be  attained  by  practice,  we  may  be 
sustained  in  declaring  that  eneravine  on 
metal  must  have  been  known  to  them 
prior  to  the  time  of  their  first  dated  prints. 

Art,  in  its  outward  expression,  feels  its 
way  slowly,  step  by  step,  from  infancy  to 
youth,  from  youth  to  maturity, — never 
leaping  into  being  fully  armed.  The  early 
pra6lice  of  wood-cutdng  by  the  Germans 


;^2  THE    ORIGIN    AND 

may  have  however  paved  the  way,  and 
the  national  patience  and  perseverance 
assisted  in  this  quick  development ;  for  it 
seems  but  a  moment  from  the  "Master  of 
1466"  to  Martin  Schoen. 

This  subject,  so  long  a  fruitful  source 
of  argument,  was  only  apparently  settled 
by  the  discovery  of  the  Niello-print  in  1 797 ; 
for  there  may  yet  be  discovered  some  evi- 
dence favoring  quite  as  early  a  date  for 
the  German  as  that  for  the  Italian  school. 

The  earliest  dated  prints  of  the  German 
school  are  the  work  of  an  unknown  artist, 
called  the  "Master  of  1466,"  from  that 
date  being  found  on  some  of  his  plates, 
and  who  is  supposed  to  have  been  the  first 
to  use  the  rolling  press,  and  make  the 
engraving  of  copper-plates  a  profession. 
It  has  been  well  said,  that  his  skill  in  hand- 
linof  the  graver  and  the  number  of  his 
works,  prove  sufficiently  that  he  was  not 
the  first  who  attempted  this  pursuit. 


ANTIQUITY    OF    ENGRAVING.  33 

The  prints  of  this  master  are  exceed- 
ingly rare,  and  it  is  supposed  that  there 
is  but  one  in  this  countr)-, — that  of  the 
Idolatry  of  Solomon,  in  the  colle(5lion  be- 
queathed by  the  late  Francis  C.  Gray  to 
Harvard  College.  He  is  said  to  have 
been  wonderfully  expert  with  the  graver, 
and  easy,  though  not  always  corre6l  in  his 
drawing.  Thoroughly  Gothic  in  taste,  with 
an  ideal  of  beauty  entirely  different  from 
ours,  yet  his  art  was  something  more 
than  a  mere  literal  representation  ;  and  he 
enjoys  the  reputation  of  being  the  first 
German  engraver  who  devoted  his  talent 
to  rendering  feeling  and  expression. 

His  engravings  are  principally  religious 
subje6ls,  and  include  a  set  of  twelve — The 
Passion  of  our  Lord — probably  the  origin 
of  the  numerous  desio-ns  of  this  interestino- 
history,  produced  by  succeeding  German 
and  Dutch  eng-ravers. 

Martin   Schoen,  or  Schongauer,   (1420- 


34  THE    ORIGIN    AND 

1488,)  the  real  father  of  the  German  school 
of  engraving,  and  immediate  successor  of 
the  "  Master  of  1466,"  was  considered  one 
of  the   ori*eatest  artists  of  his   time.     His 

o 

intimacy  with  Pietro  Perugino,  the  master 
of  Raphael,  and  with  whom  he  frequently 
exchanged  drawings,  was  the  means  of  his 
prints  being  early  known  to  the  Italians, 
and  by  whom  they  were  held  in  much 
esteem ;  and  it  is  related  that  Michael 
Angelo  in  his  youth,  was  so  much  pleased 
with  his  print  of  St  A^ithmiy  Tormented 
by  Devils,  that  he  copied  it  in  color. 

With  great  facility  in  the  management 
of  the  burin — his  touch  being  most  delicate 
and  refined — his  works  display  a  close 
observation  of  nature ;  the  heads  of  much 
beauty  and  purity  of  expression,  and  the 
draperies  well  disposed.  By  far  the  greater 
part  of  his  engravings  are  representations 
of  sacred  subje6ls,  and  are  distinguished 


ANTIQUITY    OV    ENGRAVINtJ.  35 

by  simplicity  joined  to  a  devoutness  of 
chara6ler,  peculiarly  his  own. 

Thoroughly  imbued  with  a  deep  re- 
ligious feeling,  (and  we  recognize  no  art 
lacking  this  essential,)  they  will  always  be 
viewed  with  the  highest  gratification  and 
improvement.  His  works  were  much  ad- 
mired by  his  successors,  and  strongly  in- 
fluenced them ;  and  it  is  even  said  that 
Raphael  borrowed  the  fine  motive  of  his 
figure  of  Christ,  in  the  renowned  Spasimo 
di  Sicilia,  from  Schoen's  print  of  Christ 
bearing  his  cross  to  Calvary, — a  composi- 
tion of  thirty  figures,  and  considered  his 
most  capital  produ6lion. 

But  here  at  the  close  of  the  fifteenth 
century — the  dawn  of  modern  engraving — 
we  must  pause,  for  the  subje6l  widens  far 
beyond  the  limits  of  our  design. 

With  the  advent  of  the  sixteenth  century 
the  morning  mists  disappear,  and  the  sun 
rising  with   all   its   majesty  and  power  in 


36  THE   ORIGIN    AND 

the  grand  old  German  of  Nuremberg,  re- 
flected first  on  the  friend  and  translator 
of  Raphael, — tinges  peak  after  peak,  hill- 
top after  hill-top,  valley  after  valley,  until 
the  whole  broad  scene,  not  one  spot  un- 
touched, lies  glowing  in  the  splendor  of 
noon. 

As  we  glance  down  the  long  array  of 
talent,  from  Durer  and  Marc  Antonio  to 
Toschi  and  Mandel,  how  the  clustering 
memories  of  three  hundred  and  fifty  years 
of  glory  and  renown  surround  us !  The 
earnestness  of  the  German,  and  truth  of 
the  Dutch ;  the  grace  and  refinement  of 
the  Italian,  with  the  polish  of  the  French 
schools — added  to  the  sobriety  and  dignity 
of  the  English — unite  in  forming  such  a 
complete  and  harmonious  whole,  that  the 
most  cultivated  eye  and  refined  taste  are 
satisfied,  and  the  limit  attained. 


ANTIQUITY    Of    EN(;RAV1NG.  37 


"  It  concerns  you  something  to  know  it." 
All's  well  that  ends  well. 
Aci  I.     Scene  3. 

Before  considering  the  subjecl  of  the 
UtiHty  and  Pleasures  of  Prints,  it  will  be 
proper  to  give  a  cursory  glance  to  the 
different  descriptions  and  modes  of  pro- 
ducing them  :  our  remarks  being  restri6led 
to  impressions  taken  from  metal  plates ; 
those  printed  from  wood-cuts,  now  so  im- 
portant in  their  uses  and  improvements, 
not  beinof  included  in  this  view. 

There  are  three  principal  kinds  of  prints, 
— Engravings,  already  referred  to,  Etch- 
ings, and  Mezzotintos, — the  respe6live  char- 
acteristics of  which,  in  the  order  as  named, 
are  strength,  freedom,  and  softness ;  all 
which  qualities  may  however  be  combined, 
and  when  done  with  judgment  and  taste, 


38  THK    0RK;IX    and 

result  in  some  of  the  most  exquisite  pro- 
du6lions  of  the  art. 

The  ordinary  graver  or  burin,  from  its 
angular  shape,  leaves  a  clean,  well-defined 
incision,  which,  in  its  depth  or  delicacy, 
may  be  regulated  according  to  the  char- 
a6ler  of  the  line  required.  The  strokes 
gradually  increasing  in  number  near  to 
one  another,  and  crossed  again  and  again, 
produce,  according  to  their  position  and 
thickness,  tints  more  or  less  varied  to 
make  up  the  whole. 

This  process,  the  most  comprehensive 
in  Its  powers,  touching  as  well  grace  and 
greatness,  grandeur  and  simplicity,  is  ex- 
cessively difficult  to  perform,  requiring 
long  practice  and  experience ;  and,  unless 
aided  by  taste,  becomes  mere  mechanism, 
devoid  of  nature  or  truth. 

Some  of  the  finest  examples  of  pure 
Line  Engraving  may  be  found  in  the  works 
of  Schelte  a  Bolswert,  the  contemporary 


ANTIQUITY    OF    ENGRAVING.  39 

of  Rubens,  who  is  said  to  have  retouched 
his  proofs.  They  are  distinguished  for 
their  charader  and  dignity,  and  exhibit 
great  abiHty  in  conveying  the  vigor  and 
color  of  that  master. 

His  print  of  Christ  Crowned  with  Thojnis, 
after  Vandyck,  contains  all  the  elements 
of  greatness,  and  is  one  of  the  acknowl- 
edged master-pieces  of  the  art. 

Etching,  however,  being  simply  drawing 
on  copper  with  a  steel  point  or  needle, 
with  the  addition  of  acid  to  fasten  it,  par- 
takes of  the  freedom  of  originality ;  and, 
when  finished  with  the  dry  point,  (so 
termed  from  its  use  not  being  followed 
with  the  acid,)  gives  from  the  burr  thus 
raised  those  rich  velvety  effects,  which 
Rembrandt,  through  his  skill  in  printing, 
knew  so  well  how  to  manao-e. 

Etching,  or  engraving  by  means  of  aqua- 
fortis, was  first  practised  by  Albert  Durer, 
who  seems  however  not  to  have  discovered 


40  THE    ORIGIN    AND 

its  value ;  the  industrious  German  pre- 
ferring to  overcome  the  difficulties  of  the 
burin. 

Its  resources  were  first  developed  in  the 
early  half  of  the  sixteenth  century  by 
the  Italian  painter,  Francesco  Mazzuoli, 
called  II  Parmigiano, — whose  works,  al- 
though from  want  of  pra61ice  not  well 
corroded  with  the  acid,  are  valued  for  their 
elegance  and  grace,  and  as  laying  the  real 
foundation  of  this  interestinor  mode  of 
multiplying  original  drawings. 

The  union  of  Line  Engraving  with  Etch- 
inor — addino-  freedom  to  strenofth — has 
cj-iven  us  all  those  fine  renderinofs  of  nature, 
of  which  the  English  school  of  landscape 
is  confessedly  the  chief. 

Mezzotinto,  on  the  other  hand,  is  quite 
the  opposite  from  either  engraving  or 
etching ;  in  this  case  the  lights  being  made 
by  removing  the  shadows,  while  in  the  two 


ANTIQUn\'    OK    ENGKAVINvO.  41 

latter  the   shadows   are   produced  by  de- 
creasing the  Hghts. 

In  this  process  the  surface  of  the  plate 
is  equally  roughened  by  a  suitable  tool ; 
an  impression  taken  in  this  state  being 
entirely  black;  the  ground  thus  laid  is 
then  scraped  away,  more  or  less,  as  the 
tints  are  to  be  stronger  or  fainter,  and 
entirely  removed  where  high  lights  are 
required. 

Scraping  in  Mezzotinto  (brought  to  its 
highest  state  in  England)  was  first  prac- 
tised by  a  German  officer,  Von  Siegen, 
who  produced  his  first  plate,  a  portrait,  in 
1643,  and  was  communicated  by  him  to 
Prince  Rupert,  nephew  of  Charles  the 
first. 

Walpole's  story  of  that  Prince  having 
discovered  it  by  observing  the  a6lion  of 
dew  in  rusting  the  fire-arm  of  a  sentinel, 
who  had  pardy  scraped  it  away,  is  ingenious, 
but  devoid  of  truth  ;  but  as  we  ever  prefer 


42       THE  ORIGIN   AND  ANTIQUITY  OF  ENGRAVING. 

tracing  inventions  to  a  sudden  conception, 
the  Prince  will  perhaps  never  be  robbed 
of  this  honor. 

This  Schwarze-Kunst,  or  Black  Art  of 
the  German,  is  best  adapted  to  rendering 
pi6lures  of  few  figures  and  strong  concen- 
tration of  light  and  dark,  and  possesses 
great  excellence  in  portraiture;  for  no  other 
style  of  engraving  can  so  well  represent 
the  luminous  quality  and  blending  in  of 
shadow  with  the  back-ground, — thus  crea- 
ting almost  an  aclual  presence. 

Many  striking  instances  of  this  occur  in 
the  works  of  the  best  Mezzotint©  engra- 
vers of  the  English  school ;  among  others 
may  be  mentioned  The  Rabbi,  by  William 
Pether  ;  a  Portait  of  Rembrandt,,  by  James 
MacArdell ;  and  one  by  William  Say,  after 
Sir  William  Beechey. 


The  Utility 


Pleasures  of    Prints. 


"  There  is  many  a  movient  when  the  ear  is  listless  of  talk,  -when  the  eye 
is  listless  or  weary  of  the  printed  page,  but  when  the  silent  teachings  of 
a  work  of  art  pass  unconsciously  into  the  heart." 


THE   UTILITY 


PLEASURES  OF  PRINTS. 


Here  the  theme  is  so  broad,  so  full  of 
recollections  of  purest  delight  and  most 
gentle  instru61;ion,  and  the  writer  owes  to 
them  so  many  happy  moments  of  refined 
companionship  and  elevated  associations, 
that  he  may  well  hesitate  in  undertaking  a 
task  much  beyond  his  limited  powers  of 
expression.  But  gratitude — keenly  alive  to 
all  the  advantages  to  be  derived  from  these 
uses  and  pleasures — incites  the  endeavor, 
in  a  hope  that  others  may  at  least  catch 
a  glimpse  of  this  beautiful  land. 


45 


46  THE    UTILITV    AND 


In  all  staj^tis  of  life,  whether  for  use, 
pleasure,  or  instru6lion,  the  art  of  engra- 
ving exercises  an  important  and  perma- 
nent influence. 

Through  its  representations  of  familiar 
obje6ls,  the  germ  of  childish  intellect  is 
first  quickened ;  by  its  illustrations,  the 
elementary  studies  of  youth  are  dire6led 
and  assisted  ;  and,  by  its  reproductions,  the 
inventions  in  mechanics  and  discoveries  of 
science  are  better  understood  and  more 
widely  known  ;  and,  as  a  means  of  convey- 
ing the  higher  qualities  of  the  mind,  as 
expressed  by  the  best  artists  of  all  times, 
it  is  invaluable. 

All  grades  and  classes  of  society  are 
afife6led  by  it ;  the  rude  wood-cut  of  the 
cottage  is  as  suggestive  in  its  degree  as 
the    rare   artist's   proof  of  more   favored 


PLEASURES    OF    PRINTS.  47 

homes ;  and  the  early  scrap-gatherings  of 
boyhood  days  are  as  instructive  and  im- 
portant as  the  choice  colle6tion  of  the 
connoisseur  of  a  later  period. 

In  all  the  elements  that  unite  in  forming  a 
complete  picture, — such  as  design,  compo- 
sition, and  distribution  of  light  and  shade, — 
prints  are  in  every  respect  quite  equal  to 
paintings ;  and,  although  from  the  want  of 
color  (and  even  that  may  be  suggested) 
expression  may  not  be  so  fully  rendered, 
yet  prints  convey  a  much  clearer  idea  of 
drawing  and  perspective.  Color,  with  its 
magical  gradations  of  tint,  is  deceptive, 
and  often  conceals  p^ross  faults  of  drawing  • 
and  the  critical  eye,  where  the  latter  is  a 
prominent  quality,  receives  quite  as  much 
pleasure  from  prints  as  from  paintings. 

The  grace  and  purity  of  outline,  so  much 
admired  in  Marc  Antonio,  was  acquired 
from  the  carefully  executed  drawings  of 
Raphael ;  his  engravings  being  made  from 


48  THE    L'TILITV    AND 

them,  and  not  iVoni  the  finished  paintings 
of  that  great  master. 

The  texture  of  all  stuffs,  the  qualities  of 
metal  and  wood,  and  even  the  subtelty  ot 
atmosphere  itself,  can  be  rendered  by 
prints.  The  dewy  freshness  of  morn,  the 
sultry  glow  of  noon,  and  the  solemn  hush 
of  eve  are  all  given ;  and  the  classical 
landscapes  of  Wilson,  as  translated  by  the 
master  hand  of  Woollett,  are  so  fresh  and 
brieht,  and  so  full  of  the  truth  of  nature, 
that  we  seem  to  "  live  and  move  and  have 
our  being"  in  the  scenes  thus  set  before  us. 

Through  prints  we  become  familiar  with 
the  habits  and  customs  of  the  people  of  all 
nations  ;  their  daily  lives  and  homes,  their 
comforts  and  privations  become  apparent 
to  us,  awakening  the  sympathies  and  in- 
creasing our  interest  in  man  ;  while  Irom 
the  study  of  individual  and  national  char- 
a6leristics  we  may  improve  and  elevate 
our  own  times. 


PLEASURES    OF    PRINTS.  49 

By  their  faithful  deHneations  of  the 
scenery  of  all  countries, — nature  in  its  vari- 
ous forms  of  beauty  and  grandeur,  its 
mountains  and  valleys,  its  rivers  and 
oceans,  is  lavishly  spread  before  us ;  while, 
with  a  mere  turn  of  the  hand  and  in 
slippered  ease,  we  can  travel  from  pole  to 
pole,  and  "  put  a  girdle  round  about  the 
earth  in  forty  minutes." 

The  elecrant  allegories  and  varied  in- 
stru6lions  of  mythology,  with  its  poetical 
representations  of  the  elements  and  pre- 
siding deities,  have  ever  furnished  a  plea- 
sant excitement  for  the  imagination,  and 
awakened  some  of  the  finest  conceptions 
of  art.  In  the  world-renowned  fresco  of 
Guido,  as  given  us  by  Morghen,  the  God 
of  Light — etherial  as  the  idea — preceded 
by  Aurora  scattering  freshness  and  beauty, 
moves  steadily  on,  and  we  feel  the  earth 
reviving  under  their  genial  influence.     A 


50  THE    UTILITY    AND 

beautiful  thought,  beautifully  embodied 
and  translated. 

The  pages  of  the  Sacred  Volume  have 
been  so  amply  illustrated,  that  in  any  ordi- 
nary colle6lion  of  prints  the  acts  and  pre- 
cepts of  Christ  are  fully  set  forth.  The 
divinity  and  sufferings  of  the  Son  of  God, 
who  died  that  we  might  be  saved,  are 
thoroughly  impressed  upon  us ;  and  the 
mission  of  Christian  art,  to  raise  and  pre- 
pare man  for  a  higher  and  more  perfe6l 
state,  is,  through  the  intervention  of  prints, 
brought  to  the  feelings  and  preceptions 
of  all ;  and  it  only  remains  for  each  one  to 
take  and  appropriate  unto  himself  the 
fullness  of  these  teachings. 

An  an  incentive  and  aid  to  the  study 
of  history,  prints  are  of  much  importance ; 
they  freshen  the  memory  of  striking  events, 
and  speak  to  us  of  those  deeds  of  heroism 
and  self-denial  that  have  benefited  and 
elevated  our  race. 


PLEASURES    OF    PRINTS. 


By  portraits,  they  bring  us  face-to-face 
with  the  men  of  all  times,  remarkable  for 
genius  or  virtue.  Rulers,  who  have  shaped 
the  destinies  of  nations ;  statesmen,  who 
have  governed  rulers  and  people's ;  poets, 
who  have  refined ;  philosophers,  who  have 
improved  ;  and,  philanthrophists,  who  have 
benefited.  We  are  thus  enabled  to  study 
the  chara6ler  of  each,  and  the  truths  and 
sequels  of  history  become  more  promi- 
nent and  intelligible. 

In  the  full-length  portrait  of  Louis  the 
fourteenth,  with  its  false  tide  of  "  Louis  le 
grand," — engraved  by  the  elder  Drevet, 
from  the  paindng  by  Rigaud, — after  admi- 
ring the  work  of  the  engraver,  the  delicacy 
of  line,  and  close  imitation  of  draperies, 
we  read  his  chara6ler  almost  at  a  glance. 
Pride,  ignorance,  and  a  selfish  disregard 
of  the  feelings  and  rights  of  others  are 
plainly  exhibited ;  and  we  need  not  refer 
to   the   pages  of  history  to  ascertain   the 


THE    UTILITY    AND 


results  of  the  rule  of  such  a  king,  nor 
wonder  at  its  culmination  in  the  sad  events 
of  a  later  reign. 

By  prints,  the  master-pieces  of  art, 
scattered  through  the  public  and  private 
galleries  of  the  world,  requiring  much  time 
and  causing  great  inconvenience  even  to 
examine  them,  are  brought  into  our  daily 
companionship,  free  from  excitement  or 
restraint.  The  whole  world  of  genius  lies 
revealed  to  us ;  and,  not  restri(fl;ed  to  any 
particular  school  or  painter,  we  have  the 
privilege  of  sele6ling  the  finest  examples 
of  each,  and  thus  possess  for  convenient 
reference  that  which  insensibly  improves 
our  taste  and  elevates  our  judgment. 

Time  is  fast  eatincr  into  and  robbing 
many  of  these  treasures  of  their  pristine 
beauty,  while  the  vandalism  of  man  and 
the  action  of  the  elements  have  utterly 
destroyed  others ;  and  it  behooves  us  to 
carefully  preserve  these  translations,  which. 


PLEASURES    OF    PRINTS.  53 

sooner  or  later,  will  be  the  only  visible  re- 
cords of  works  which  have  stood  the  test 
of  time  and  years  of  enlightened  criticism. 

The  prints  of  the  early  engravers  derive 
their  great  value  and  interest  from  being 
the  handiwork  of  eminent  painters ;  and 
furnish  a  constant  source  of  study,  not 
alone  for  the  art,  but  also  for  the  artist. 

The  intense  earnestness  and  devotion, 
conspicuous  in  all  the  works  of  Durer, 
excite  a  deep  feeling  for  the  subje6l,  and 
enlist  our  affe6lions  for  the  man. 

In  his  print  of  the  legendary  tale  of  the 
Conversion  of  St.  Hubert,  (his  largest  and 
most  finished  engraving,  the  plate  of  which 
was  filled  In  with  gold,  by  order  of  the 
Emperor  Rudolph  the  second,  and  is  still 
thus  preserved,)  these  qualities  of  mind 
and  heart  are  made  apparent  to  the  most 
careless  observer. 

The  knight,  while  hunting,  is  stopped 
suddenly  in  his  career  of  sinful  and  worldly 


Of  THl^^ 

y»I7ERSITrl 


54  THE    UTILITV    AND 

pleasures  by  the  apparition  of  a  stag  bear- 
ing the  crucifix  between  its  horns.  The 
awe  and  veneration  expressed  in  the 
countenance  and  kneeHne  fisTUre  of  the 
knight,  at  the  appearance  of  the  divine 
messenger,  cannot  be  misunderstood;  even 
the  horse  and  dogs  seem  to  comprehend 
the  passing  event,  while  the  faithful  atten- 
tion to  detail  in  the  landscape,  adds  also  to 
the  interest  and  truth  of  the  scene. 

But  how  shall  we  speak  of  the  witchery 
of  painter's  etchings,  with  their  freedom 
and  grace ;  often  mere  suggestions,  but 
fresh  from  the  mind, — full  of  spirit  and 
genius  ?  The  point,  gliding  easily  over  the 
surface,  follows  the  inspiration  of  the  mo- 
ment: and  we  have  original  sketches  by 
artists  whose  works  are  so  precious  as 
exponents  of  the  purity  within. 

Etchings  from  the  hand  of  Guido,  who 
touched  not  but  to  create  beauty  and 
grace ;  from  Claude,  the  poet  of  nature ; 


PLEASURES    OF    PRINTS.  55 

or,  from  that  master  of  intellectual  por- 
traiture, Vandyck,  must  always  possess  an 
indefinable  charm ;  linked  with  which  is 
the  pleasant  thought  that,  unlike  original 
drawings,  restri6ted  to  a  few,  many  may 
be  enjoying  them  at  the  same  moment. 

But  these,  and  scores  of  other  works 
of  like  merit  and  value,  must  yield  to  the 
enchantment  of  the  "inspired  Dutchman," 
— whose  complete  mastery  of  light  and 
shade,  and  wonderful  combination  of  etch- 
ing" and  dry  point,  have  given  us  works 
which  fascinate  as  well  the  refined  as  the 
uncultivated  observer.  Rembrandt  treats 
his  subject  in  such  a  simple  and  truthful 
manner  that  we  enter  into  the  spirit  of  the 
a6lion  at  once,  without  being  bewildered 
by  surrounding  objecls,  or  wearied  with 
unnecessary  detail ;  and  it  has  been  beau- 
tifully said,  that  his  genius,  like  the  lustre 
of  precious  stones,  shines  from  the  centre, 
not  from  the  surface. 


THE    UTILITY    AND 


His  touch  is  as  free  as  thought ;  and  a 
Kne  here  and  a  scratch  there,  are  as  ex- 
pressive of  chara6ler  and  action,  as  the 
most  labored  efforts  of  others ;  and  if  his 
models  are  not  of  the  most  refined  nature, 
and  his  drawing  not  always  correct,  such 
is  the  power  of  his  pathos  and  the  simpli- 
city of  his  composition,  that  we  readily 
pardon  the  lesser  faults  in  admiration  of 
the  greater  excellence  of  the  whole. 

His  freedom  of  handling  and  powers  of 
expression  are  never  more  conspicuous 
than  in  his  portraits  ;  which,  for  picturesque 
effed,  individuality  of  charafter,  and  ren- 
dering of  age,  have  never  been  equalled. 

The  Death  of  the  Vii^gin,  a  large  and 
much  esteemed  print,  is  perhaps  one  of 
the  finest  examples  of  pure  etching  ever 
executed.  The  touching  charader  of  the 
scene,  the  sorrow  of  the  by-standers,  and 
the  gentle  a6lion  of  Joseph,  who  is  raising 
the   Virgin   in   an   endeavor  to    ease    her 


PLEASURES   OF    PRINTS.  57 

dying  moments,  are  most  truthfully  ex- 
pressed ;  even  the  pallor  of  death  is 
strongly  marked,  and  all  this  with  so  few 
and  slight,  yet  masterly  touches,  that  we 
are  lost  in  wonder  and  admiration. 

In  the  print  of  Christ  Healing  the  Sick-— 
his  chef-d'oeuvre — which  receives  its  stri- 
king effe6l  from  a  free  use  of  the  dry  point, 
all  the  great  qualities  of  Rembrandt  are 
developed.  The  simplicity  of  design,  the 
ease  of  composition,  and  mystery  of  chiaro- 
scuro, while  revealing  the  power  and  truth 
of  the  artist,  make  this  one  of  the  most 
impressive  ad;s  of  Jesus. 

The  features  of  Christ  are  not  such  as 
a  refined  judgment  might  approve,  yet  it 
is  Christ  in  all  the  sublimity  of  faith  and 
tender  love ;  and,  although  the  powers  of 
expression  and  interest  attached  to  the 
surrounding  groups  are  of  the  most  en- 
grossing chara6ler,  yet  the  eye  never 
loses  the  presence  of  the  divine  Healer. 


THE    UTILITY    AND 


Professional  engravers,  taking  their  rise 
in  Marc  Antonio,  and  speaking  through 
the  grandeur  of  Hne,  the  freedom  of  etch- 
ing, and  solemnity  of  Mezzotinto,  have 
filled  our  folios  with  such  a  wealth  of  faith- 
ful and  intelligent  translations  from  nature 
and  art,  that  any  attempt  to  bring  them 
to  your  notice  would  end  in  a  mere  cata- 
logue of  names  and  works,  and  weary 
where  we  would  willingly  please. 

Yet,  at  the  risk  of  invoking  the  unap- 
peased  shades  of  the  many  great  dead,  we 
cannot  refrain  from  alluding  to  one, — Mul- 
ler's  print  of  67.  JoJin, — from  the  pi(5lure 
by  Domenichino.  There  seems  to  be  such 
an  affinity  between  the  character  of  "  the 
disciple  whom  Jesus  loved"  and  that  of  the 
engraver ;  and  the  purity  of  their  lives 
and  devoted  and  affe6lionate  natures  are 
so  alike,  that  we  have  ever  looked  at  this 
print  with  its  beautiful  dedication,  "  To  his 


PLEASURES    OF    PRINTS.  59 

father  and  master,"  with  the  most  reverent 
feelings. 

It  is  one  of  the  noblest  examples  of 
pure  line  extant,  and  never  were  subject, 
painter,  and  engraver  more  closely  allied. 
The  grand  flow  of  line,  the  dignity  of 
drapery,  and  the  rapt  countenance  of  the 
Evangelist,  remove  it  from  the  sphere  of 
art,  and  elevate  it  into  a  revelation. 

But  the  colle6lor  of  prints  is  not  limited 
solely  to  shining  lights  and  great  names, — 
always  difficult  to  obtain  in  fine  state  or 
perfed  preservation.  Many  an  unobtru- 
sive print,  with  no  high-sounding  reputa- 
tion, is  destined  to  furnish  quite  as  much 
pleasure  as  a  Durer  or  Rembrandt,  Marc 
Antonio  or  Bolswert. 

We  call  to  mind  a  simple,  unpretending 
little  print,  which  would  not  be  mentioned 
in  the  catalogue  of  any  recognized  collec- 
tion ;  it  is  engraved  by  Oortman,  after 
Rembrandt's    picture    in    the    Louvre,    of 


6o  THE    UTILITY    AND 

Christ  and  the  tiuo  disciples  at  Emmaus, 
of  which,  Mrs.  Jameson  says,  "  Rembrandt 
took  the  subject  of  the  supper  at  Emmaus, 
and  baptised  it  in  the  pure  waters  of  the 
gospel." 

This  picture  is  one  of  the  most  impres- 
sive that  ever  came  from  the  hand  of  the 
ofreat  master  of  Hcfht  and  shade.  The 
point  of  time  taken  is,  when  Christ  broke 
the  bread,  and  their  eyes  were  opened 
and  they  knew  him. 

The  engraver,  entering  into  the  feeHngs 
of  the  artist  and  the  interest  of  the  scene, 
has  succeeded  in  the  most  admirable  man- 
ner in  rendering  the  divinity  of  Christ, 
and  the  awe  and  astonishment  of  the  two 
disciples  ;  and  has,  by  a  simplicity  of  work 
free  from  any  show  of  labor  or  straining 
after  effe6l,  thrown  around  the  whole  print 
such  an  air  of  spirituality,  that  long  after 
the  original  shall  have  faded  and  dimmed, 


PLEASURES    OF    PRINTS.  6 1 

its    charm   will   bind   us   through   this   ex- 
quisite reprodu6lion. 

The  coUecftion  of  prints,  satisfying  in 
youth  the  active  quality  of  our  nature, — 
which,  unless  brought  under  the  subjec 
tion  of  intellect,  degenerates  into  a  mere 
search  for  novelty,  and  excitement,  with 
its  corresponding  violence  of  reaction, — is 
no  less  important  as  a  refuge  for  age.  As 
our  bodily  adivity  lessens,  it  become  neces- 
sary to  substitute  a  proportionate  balance, 
so  that  age  may  not  lapse  into  inertia ;  and 
this  pursuit,  by  stimulating  our  perceptions 
of  the  beautiful,  and  keeping  alive  an  in- 
terest in  man,  furnishes  occupation  and  a 
healthy  excitement  for  the  mind ;  tending 
to  preserve  that  w'hich  is  beyond  the 
power  of  medicine, — a  sound  mind  in  a 
sound  body. 

In  conclusion,  if  we  have  succeeeded  in 
convincing  the  reader  that  print-collecting, 
— which  he  may  often  hear  termed  a  mere 


62         THE    UTILITY    ANL>    PLEASURES    OK    PRINTS. 

hobby,  or  at  the  best  a  pleasurable  pas- 
time,— is  entitled  to  be  classed  as  a  power- 
ful agent  for  the  cultivation  and  enlighten- 
ment of  man  ;  or  shall  have  persuaded  but 
one  to  follow  in  the  footsteps  of  many  ex- 
cellent and  virtuous  men,  and  become  also 
a  lover  and  collector  of  prints, — the  time 
has  been  well  spent  and  the  labor  re- 
quited. 

[UiriVBRSITT] 

THE   £ND. 


W.UL   BE   ASSESSED   FOR   ^>^  ^^^  pENAUTY 

THIS   BOOK   ON   THf   °^J  q^  THE  FOURTH 

W.UU.NCREASETOSO^NT^^    SEVENTH     DAY 

DAY     AND    TO     ^l"--. 
OVERDUE. 


LD  21-t00m-7.'33 


•«-.»■*«;■-"•    ^-^  -^-^ 


